Frequent population influx from rural to urban centres and the urban lifestyle adopted by the people in general has resulted in a steady rise in cardio-metabolic disorders, said experts at a seminar organised by the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA). The speakers at the event – Prof Ejaz Vohra, Prof Mashoor Alam, Prof Zakir Alvi, Dr Khurram Shahid, Dr MA Ibrahim, Dr Zahid Miyan and Dr Zsusna – unanimously recommended exercise and healthy food for prevention and early treatment of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disorders.
According to a PIMA press release issued on Tuesday, Prof Dr Ejaz Vohra urged junior doctors to realise that diabetes has presently emerged as the mother of all diseases. “It can affect a number of organs such as heart, kidneys, nerves, eyes and blood vessels,” said the senior physician. Prof Vohra said despite all the efforts made to control the blood glucose levels people and medical community in the country appears to be losing the battle against diabetes.
He said obesity and diabetes, which were once thought to be the diseases of elderly, were now present in people in their early thirties and this is an alarming situation. Dr MA Ibrahim in his talk on screening of diabetes complications said that diabetes is not all about controlling glucose, and it is actually early detection and control of its complications that can increase as well improve the quality of life. He stressed the need for proper and regular check ups.
He said that the diabetics must get checked their blood glucose levels (HbA1C) every quarterly coupled with an annual screening of their vision by ophthalmologist and an annual urine analysis to be aware and able to control diabetes induced complications in a better way. Dr Khurram Shahid said that about 246 million people are diabetics worldwide and in Pakistan there are 18 million diabetics, which is about 10 percent of the population.
Discussing the newer trends in the management of diabetes, he emphasised the role of exercise and healthy diet in prevention and early management of diabetes. He also mentioned newer drugs that are introduced for diabetes. Dr Zahid Miyan drew the audience’s attention towards the importance of educating the health care professionals and patients about the proper technique of insulin administration. “People must also be informed about the complications involved and the steps to be taken in case of an adverse event,” he said.
Prof Dr Mashoor Alam in his presentation about prevalence and pathogenesis of obesity said that obesity has increased the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancers. “Due to massive urbanisation in the country, an unhealthy lifestyle has been adopted by our people and this is with particular reference to junk food and less physical activity,” he added. He said that the incidence of obesity has risen to 10 percent in a span of last two to three years.
Dr Zakir Alvi said obesity is among the top 10 leading causes of sudden death and it causes 4.4 million deaths every year worldwide. “Obesity once thought to be related to high socio- economic class, now prevails in our low and middle class,” he said and regretted that the masses in the country are unable to control cholesterol levels. “There has been a decrease in the trend of obesity in the West, but it is climbing steeply in Pakistan,” he added.
The senior physician said that the country is exposed to a dual burden of infectious disease as well as these metabolic diseases. Dr Zsusna urged the need for educating masses and for across the board adoption of healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise. She said that students of the schools with provision for physical activity are prone to be less active in future and develop obesity and in this aspect parents and the media have a major role to play.
